New Chinese submarine (presumably modified Type-039C "Yuan"). Photo: https://t.co/BDAog0wSQZ pic.twitter.com/3fkr5mZLPi
— Ivan O'Gilvi (@o_gilvi) May 12, 2021
In the Chinese social network Weibo, the first photo of a new type of submarine appeared. The ship is ready to be launched in Wuhan. Presumably, this is the head sample of the upgraded Type-039C Yuan project.
According to the geolocation, the shot was taken from a bridge near the Wuchang shipyard in the lower city. February satellite images captured fresh sections of the submarine's hull at the shipyard. The condition of the new buildings surrounding the shipyard also suggests that the photo was taken quite recently, writes Naval News.
The nose of the built ship is covered with red cloth. This is either the national flag of the People's Republic of China, or a blanket hiding the sonar and torpedo tubes from the cameras. In terms of dimensions, the new submarine corresponds to the type "Yuan", but its hull has a much smoother and cleaner contours than the previous boats of the series. The slightly changed length suggests that there are probably no vertical rocket launch installations on board. But the ship is equipped with an air-independent closed-loop power plant and, possibly, lithium batteries. Of interest is also the gap in the upper part of the hull - something similar is in the new Swedish submarines A-26 Blekinge.
And the place where the submarine is ready for launching is interesting. Earlier, the Chinese authorities announced that the main assembly site of the "Yuan" will be a new shipyard in the vicinity of Wuhan. But the company fulfills foreign orders, representatives of the Navy of Pakistan, Thailand and other countries there are frequent guests. Apparently, for the launch of the newest submarine, the Chinese navy tried to choose a quieter place and away from prying eyes. As you can see, it is not perfect.
Anton Valagin
